Your newborn’s first bath: a calm, step-by-step guide

Many parents look forward to the first bath at home with a mix of excitement and nerves: your baby seems so fragile, and the advice from grandmothers and the internet often contradicts itself. In reality, bathing a newborn is simple and takes just a few minutes. This step-by-step guide covers when to start, what to prepare, how to hold your baby and what you do not need to do.

When to give the first bath

The World Health Organization advises against bathing a baby in the first 24 hours after birth: the creamy coating on the skin (vernix) protects it, and keeping warm matters a great deal for a newborn. At home, most families start bathing in the first days after leaving the maternity hospital.

It used to be standard to wait until the umbilical cord stump had fallen off. Today many countries consider a short bath in clean water fine for healing, as long as you gently pat the stump dry afterwards and leave it uncovered. In Uzbekistan advice from paediatricians and visiting nurses can vary, so ask your own paediatrician what suits your baby. Until the stump falls off, you can simply top and tail — wipe your baby with warm, damp cotton wool or a soft cloth.

Your baby does not need a bath every day. Two or three baths a week are plenty for a newborn; in between, wash the face, neck and skin folds and clean the nappy area at each change. In the summer heat you can bath more often, briefly and without soap.

What to prepare

Get everything ready before you undress your baby — you must never leave your baby in the water, even for a second.

• A baby bath or a clean, large basin.
• Water at about 37 °C. A bath thermometer is easiest; without one, test the water with your elbow or the inside of your wrist — it should feel pleasantly warm, never hot.
• A soft hooded towel, a clean nappy and clothes.
• A mild, fragrance-free baby wash — optional, and no more than once or twice a week. Plain water is enough for a newborn.
• A warm, draught-free room, ideally around 24–26 °C.

Run the cold water first, then add hot, and mix well so there are no hot spots. Five to ten centimetres of water is enough.

How to bath your baby, step by step

1. Choose a time when your baby is not hungry but has not just fed either. Many families bath in the evening before the last feed — a calm ritual before sleep.
2. Undress your baby and, if needed, clean the face first: wipe each eye with a separate cotton pad moistened with cooled boiled water, from the outer corner to the inner one.
3. Lower your baby into the water slowly, feet first. Support the head and shoulders with one hand — your palm under the back of the head, your wrist under the neck. Hold the bottom and legs with the other.
4. Once your baby is settled, use your free hand to pour warm water over the body and wash the skin folds: neck, armpits, groin and behind the ears. Wash the head last so your baby does not get cold.
5. A newborn’s bath lasts 5–10 minutes. That is enough.
6. Wrap your baby straight away in the hooded towel and pat the skin dry, especially in the folds. Do not rub.

If the skin is dry, a little fragrance-free baby cream is fine, but usually nothing else is needed. Never push cotton buds into the ears or nose — clean only the parts you can see.

Potassium permanganate, herbs and other advice

Families still often suggest adding potassium permanganate (‘margantsovka’) or herbal infusions to the bath water. There is no need. Undissolved crystals can burn the skin and mucous membranes, and the solution dries the skin out. Herbs can cause irritation and allergies, with no proven benefit for healthy skin. You do not need to boil the bath water either — clean tap water is fine for bathing.

Another common tip is to swaddle tightly after the bath or take your baby straight out into the cold. Babies need warmth but not overheating: dress your baby for the room temperature, roughly one layer more than you are wearing yourself.

Bath-time safety

• Never leave your baby alone in water, not even for a moment. A baby can drown in a few centimetres of water. If the phone or doorbell rings, wrap your baby in a towel and take them with you.
• If it feels awkward to hold your baby over an adult bath, use a baby bath on a stable surface instead.
• Keep electrical appliances that are switched on well away from the water.

When to see a doctor

Contact your paediatrician or visiting nurse if:

• the skin around the cord stump becomes red or swollen, or there is pus or an unpleasant smell;
• a rash appears that does not settle, weeps or seems to bother your baby;
• after the bath your baby is floppy, feeding poorly or has changed colour.

Call an ambulance on 103 if a baby under three months has a temperature of 38 °C or higher, has difficulty breathing, blue lips or a fit, if your baby has swallowed water and is coughing, struggling to breathe or has become drowsy, or if your baby has been scalded by hot water.

The takeaway

Bathing a newborn is a couple of minutes in warm water, not an ordeal. Prepare everything in advance, check the temperature, support the head firmly and never leave your baby alone. Plain water is enough — no permanganate or herbs needed. Before long, bath time may become the favourite part of the day for you both.